Awl-actuating mechanism for shoe-sewing machines.



Patented Oct. I5, I90l.

H. BRIGGS. AWL AGTUATING MECHANISM FUR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1899.)

(No Model) m: wonms pzrsns o0. PNDTO L Y fO., WASHINGTON, n, cy

- UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

HENRY BRIGGS, OF I-IASBROUOK HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AWL-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR SHOE-SEWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,537, dated October 15, 1901.

Application filed February 23, 1899- Serial No. 706,478. O 10581.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Emacs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hasbrouck Heights, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Awl-Actuating Mechanism for Shoe-Sewing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to shoe-sewing machines, and more particularly to shoesewing machines of the Wax-thread chainstitch type, of which the commercial turn and welt sewing machines are examples.

The present invention consists of improvements in the construction, organization, and mode of operation of the awl mechanism arranged to impart to the awl a positioning movement to bring its point into the channel of the sole and to thereafter impart to the awl a work-puncturing movement.

As machines of the class above designated have been commonly heretofore constructed the awl, besides its feeding function, has a further function of puncturing the between substances at required intervals to receive the needle, said aw1punctures being intended to guide the needle entering the same and to insure its emergence from the base of the channel in the sole. Prior machines of this class provided with the several forms of awlactuating mechanism of the prior art have been defective, in so far as I am advised of the practical operation thereof, in that the awl, particularly when a thin insole is being operated upon, failed to puncture the between substances in such manner that the needle would be properly guided to emerge, as above stated. This defect isowing to the fact that in order to give the awl a sufficient extent of movement to insure its removal out of the way of the Working parts of the machine, particularly the looper, it is given a movement on so long a radius that it does not properly enter the channel, or, if it does properly enter the channel, it emerges from the Work at a point below or above the point at which the the awl and the needle to be more nearly 00- incident when passing through the material; but such expedient, in so far as I am advised of theart, has not been successful and would be impractical where the awl enters the channel side of the work.

It is the object of my improved awl-actuating mechanism to remedy the defect above noted, and to this end I mount the awl in an awl-carrier which is mounted upon an awlcarrier lever, by means of which it is actuated during a part of its movement, preferably until the point of the awl has entered the channel. The awl-carrier is movable independently of the awl-carrier lever, and such independent movement actuates the awl during its puncturing movement. By this arrangement the awl is given a positioning movement adapted to bring it into position in the channel, and thereafter is given an independent puncturing movement, the path of which may be determined in accordance with the thickness of the stock operated upon, so that the awl will form its puncture at the proper position to receive and guide the me dle, so that the needle will emerge at the base of the channel.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wax-thread sewing-machine, such as the machine disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States issued to French and Meyer, No. 412,704, of October 8, 1889, with myimproved awl-actuating mechanism applied thereto. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent details of the improved awlactuating mechanism, showing the same in side elevation and the awl in different positions. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional details of the awl-actuating mechanism.

Similar reference characters will be employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the needle, B the looper, O the channel-guide,-

D the back rest or sliding gage, E the back gage, F the take-up, and K the thread-finger, all of which parts, together with their actuating mechanism, except as hereinafter specified, may be and conveniently are the same as corresponding parts of said patented machine and in themselves form no part of my present invention.

In the preferred form of my invention illustrated in the drawings, H represents the awl, which is mounted upon the awl-carrier h, which is mounted upon the awl-carrier lever h. The awl-carrier h, as hereinbefore suggested, is movable both with and independently of the awl-carrier lever 7i, its motion with the awl-carrier lever 71 being about the shaft h as a fulcrum and being the positioning movement which brings the awl E into awl-carrier lever h is in the form of a bellcrank lever fulcrumed at its angle on the shaft k and in the upwardly-extending arm of which is formed a slot h*, which receives an elongated stud 7L5, carried by one arm of a lever h, which is fulcrumed on the shaft 77. and the other arm of which carries a cam roll or truck which engages a cam-groove in the lateral face of the cam-disk X, the arrangement of the lever 7L6 and its actuating-cam being substantially that of said patented machine. It will be also understood that the shaft 71 on which the awl-carrier lever h is fulcrumed,is mounted upon thefeed-slide,and the feeding movement of the awl is imparted thereto substantially as in said patented machine. In front of the slot h4 the arm h of the awl-carrier lever 71 is cut away, as shown at it for the purpose hereinafter described. The awl-carrier h is preferably formed of two plates a, which embrace the lower end of the awl-carrier lever 71, and is niovably supported on the awl-carrier lever by means of the blocks a carried by bolts 0L2 secured in plates a. The blocks a engage, respectively, the slots a and a formed in the awl-carrier lever h and an gularly disposed relatively to each other for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The plates CL (1 of the awl-carrier It also embrace the lower end of an arm I), which is carried by a segment I), fulcrumed on the shaft 71 v The lower end of the arm Z2 is provided with a slot b which receives a roller a carried by a pin a, secured in the plates at a. The segment I) is provided with a slot 19 which receives the elongated stud The operation of the above-described awlactuating mechanism is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 2, the awl being then in its raised position, a rotation of the cam X causes a forward movement of lever h, which by means of the stud 72;, which engages both of the slots h and b in the awl-carrier lever h and segment 17, causes the lever 71/ and segment I) to move forward about their fulcrum h until the parts have been brought into substantially the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the point of the awl H is in the channel and substantially in contact with the base. The above-described movement is the positioning movement of the awl heretofore referred to. When the parts have reached the position last referred to, the shoulder it" comes in contact with the fixed stop 3, which prevents a further forward movement of the lever h, and the continued forward movement of the lever h causes the stud h to ride out of the slot 71 over the cut-away portion h and since it remains in engagement with the slot 12 of the segment I? it produces a further and independent forward movement of the segment I). This independent forward movement of the segment 1) causes the arm I) by means of the slot 19 and roller a to impart a downward movement to the awl-carrier h, which downward movement by means of the angularly-disposed slots 6L3 and a and blocks a imparts to the awl a movement along a curved path downward and inward, the resultant of the relative angular position of said slots, causing the point of the awl to enter and emerge from the between substance, said movement being the work-puncturing movement hereinbefore referred to. At the end of said movement the parts are substantially in the position shown in Fig. 4. By varying the relative inclination of the slots 0. and a the curve of the path of the awl during its puncturing movement may be either flattened or made more abrupt, as the work may require. It is not, however, contemplated that a necessity for such regulation will frequently arise, but interchangeable awl-carrier levers having slots of varying angularity may be conveniently provided.

While I have illustrated my improved awlactuating mechanism in connection with the machine of the French and Meyer patent hereinbefore referred to, I desire to state that said patented machine has been selected merely for the purpose of describing my invention and that the present invention is in no wise limited to its embodiment in said machine, for it is equally useful in many other forms of wax-thread shoe-sewing machines. I would further state that I do not consider my invention as limited to the details of mechanism hereinbefore described whereby I secure the Work-positioning and work-puncturing movement of the awl; but,

Having described the construction and mode of operation of my invention, I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a shoe-sewing machine, the combination with an awl, of mechanism for actuating said awl to impart thereto a positioning movement toward the work, and mechanism to thereafter impart to said awl an independent puncturing movement, substantially as described.

2. In a shoe-sewing machine, the combination with a curved needle and its actuating mechanism, of an awl carrier lever, an awlcarrier movable with and independently of said lever, an awl mounted in the carrier and mechanism for actuating the awl carrier lever to impart to said awl a positioning movement toward the work, and mechanism to impart to the awl-carrier its independent movement to cause the awl to puncture the work, substantially as described.

3. In a shoe-sewing machine, the combination with an aWl-carrier lever and an awl-carrier movable with and independently of said lever, of mechanism arranged to impart a simultaneous movement to the awl-carrie'r lever and awl-carrier toward the work, and to thereafter impart an independent puncturing movement to the awl-carrier, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with an awl-carrierlever and an awl-carrier movable with and in dependently of said lever, of mechanism for simultaneously moving the awl-carrier lever and awl carrier toward the work to position the awl, a stop to limit the movement of the awl carrier lever after the awl has been positioned, and means to thereafter advance the awl-carrier to impart to the awl a work-puncturing movement, substantially as described.

5. In a shoe-sewing machine, the combination with an awl having a positioning movement toward the work along a curved path,

and an independent puncturing movement along a curved path angularly disposed to the path of its positioning movement, and successively-actin g mechanisms for actuating the awl to move it along said paths, substantially as described. e

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BRIGGS. Witnesses? E. M. ANSON, F; H. KINNIOUTT. 

